40 Part One Children in Today’s World
Maslow’s Hierarchy
of Human Needs
Self-Actualization
All needs have been
fulfilled to some degree
Esteem
Need to be liked and respected
Love and Acceptance
Need for support, assurance, praise, acceptance
Security
Need to feel safe in surroundings
Physical Needs
Need for air, water, food, clothing, shelter, medical care
Maslow’s Theory of
Human Needs
Abraham Maslow, a noted
psychologist, believed that
development is a result of meeting
personal needs. His theory states all
people work to fulfi ll basic needs
and higher-level needs.
Maslow divides basic needs into
four levels. The fi rst level includes
all physical needs. The other three
levels are the psychological (related
to feelings) needs of security; love
and acceptance; and esteem.
In addition to basic needs,
Maslow also created a fi fth level
for higher-level needs, which he
called self-actualization needs. These
are the needs to grow and feel
fulfi lled as a person. They include
the drive to pursue talents and
hobbies, gain skills, and learn more
about the world. Education meets
self-actualization needs. Complete
self-actualization is a lifelong
process. Many people never attain
complete self-actualization.
Maslow ranked these basic and
higher-level needs in an order he
called the hierarchy of human needs,
1-11. This means lower-level needs
(basic needs) must be somewhat
fulfi lled before higher-level needs
can be pursued.
1-11
Maslow sees two kinds of needs in all humans—basic needs (physical and
psychological needs) and higher-level needs (self-actualization needs).